Ship raising rigging



Oct. 27, 1936.

s. MlNlO 2,058,708

SHIP .RAISING RIGGING Filed May 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 .u'lflim ATTORNEY Oct. 27, 1936. s MINIQ 2,058,708

SHIP RAISING RIGGING Filed May 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet2 WITNESS ATTORNEY Oct. 27, 1936. m 2,058,708

I SHIP RAISING RIGGING Filed May 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 o o o o o o o o o O O 0 Steve Mnio INVENTOR o o o OI lD o o o o 0 I BY W853 I I ATTORNEY WITNESS.

Oct; 27, 1936. s. MINIO SHIP RAISING RIGGING Filed May 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 SteveMnio INVENTOR A TORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to salvaging equipment for watercraft and more especially to a ship raising rigging.

r The primary object of the invention is the prod vision of a rigging of this character, wherein through the use of the same a sunken vessel, such as a ship, submarine or the like craft may be conveniently located for purposes of enabling the salvaging of the cargo thereof or if such ves- 10-se1 is to be raised the same can be, the rigging being of novel construction and is convenient for the purposes intended thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rigging of this character, wherein the same "is constructed for carriage upon a ship and when the latter sinks it will enable a wrecking craft to conveniently locate the sunken ship either for the raising thereof or for the salvaging of its load.

Afurther object of the invention is the provi- 20" sion of a rigging of this character, which is comparatively simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and efiicient for the purposes intended 'thereof, possessing strength and durability, convenient for handling and inexpensive to manu- 25 'facture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in 30the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation diagrammatically illus- 35 trating the rigging constructed in accordance with the invention applied to a sunken vessel or ship and a rigging craft in association with the rigging.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof.

40 .Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 4 showing the parts in a changed position.

50 Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through a releasable coupling of the rigging.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a modified form of pontoon.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of a 55 ship showing the pontoon disclosed in Figure 7 at rest upon the ship with a lashing to deck supports therefor.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the pontoon shown in Figure 7. 5

Figure 10 is a sectional View on the line I il-ID of Figure 9 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 11 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof showing a modified form of attaching the pontoon to a deck support.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary elevation of a carrier chain for the pontoon.

Figure 13 is a sectional view on the line l3|3 of Figure 12 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 15' sponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the rigging comprises several tandem pontoons, each including a pair of buoyant bodies H) which are spaced the required distance from each other and are united in this spaced relation through the medium of. connecting bars II and I2, respectively, which are arranged in horizontally spaced relation to each other. In each buoyant body It] is provided a chamber l3 in which is arranged a rotatable reel 14 having attached thereto a cable I5 which is adapted to be wound on and unwound from the said reel M, the arbor or axle I6 for the reel I4 being adapted to have connected thereto a hand crank "for the rotation of the said reel by hand.

The cable I5 is adapted to play through an eye 18 provided in the bottom of the buoyant body It) and the cables of the tandem of both bodies ID are connected to pivotal link ratchet chains I8 at l9. These chains I8 are connected at 20 with anchoring brackets 2| made fast externally to the hull or the ships body 22 at a point adjacent to the water line of the sameand such chains are of a length to extend at least thirty feet above the highest point of the ships body.

It is preferable to have a pair of tandem buoyant bodies Hl arranged at each side of the ships. body and according to the size of the latter a plurality of these may be at each side thereof. Upon the deck of the ships body are supports 23 for the said pontoons which normally are at rest thereon and for carriage by the ship. In one instance the pontoons are lashed to these supports 23 and when the ship is about to sink the said pontoons are freed of the supports 23 and by buoyancy they will ride the body of water at the surface thereof, the cables 15 being automatically played out from the reels l4 during the sinking of the vessel so that the said pontoons shall remain afloat at the water surface. Each buoyant body ID has a conical cap 24 and the same is preferably finished for reflecting purposes so as to render the pontoons visible above the water surface for enabling the location of the sunken craft by a wrecking craft travelling the water body.

The wrecking craft 25 is adapted to have onboard tanks 26 each being provided with a releasable guide coupling 21 the releasing function being had by a screw bolt 28 therewith. The coupling 21 of the tank 26 permits attachment of the latter with a cable l5 and the guiding of this tank in descent and ascent thereon within Each chain l8 carrles-atthe" a body of water. respective links thereof spring tension. ratchet dogs 29 arranged throughout the lengthofstiid chain so that the screw bolt 28 f the coupling- 21 will ratchet over these dogs 29 on the descent of the tank 26 when the coupling ridesonto-the" chain l 8' but said dogs 29 will latch the coupling 21 from reverse upward movement of the tank 26. The descent of each tank 26 in the body of the water is had by filling such tank with water contents as at 30', the attachment of the tank with a cable I being had by the wrecking crew on the craft 25. Each tank 26 has provided in one side thereof an outlet return check valve 3| and also attachable to the tank for communication therewith is an air flow tube or pipe 32 'for introducing under pressure air within the body of the water so that when the water contents is expelled from the tank 26 its buoyancy will function to raise the sunken vessel. The air flow tubes or pipes 32 lead from the wreck ing craft 25 and are in conjunction with a suitable air compressor (not shown) as located upon such wrecking craft so that air under pressure may be conveyed by these tubes or pipes for the purposes stated.

Eachtank 26 has interiorly thereof a weight 33 which functions to have the tank 26 descend in the position as shown in Figure 4' of the drawings to one side of the cable l5 and chains l8 when water is contained within the tank. Then when the water is expelled from the tank 26 the latter turns to have the point of pull on the chain l8 at the vertical center and at the lowermost point of such tank as is clearly shown in Figure 5' of the drawings.

In Figures 7 to 11 of the drawings there'is shown a modified form of pontoon wherein it includes an intermediate cork fill'ed buoyant body 34 having at opposite ends the casings 35 each having a winding and unwinding reel 36' to which is connected the cable 31 similar or oorresponding to the cable l5. upwardly tapered reflector rib or crown 35' corresponding to the crowning cap 24 This 'body 34 carries the In Figure 11 of the drawings there is shown a still further modification wherein this pontoon having the body 34 at its front has fitted therewith a steel plate 38 While the deck supports 39 corresponding to the supports 23 are each fitted with an electrically energized magnet 46 coacting with the plate 38 to hold fast the pontoons which rest upon the ships body. Now when the electric energy to the magnet 40 is shut off the pontoon having the plate 38 will be instantly released for the overboard floating of such pontoon coincident with the sinking of the ship.

When the ship has sunken and the wrecking 'c'iaft 25 arrives at the point where the ship has :sunken these tanks 26 are normally devoid of water content or air and the same are placed overboard for attachment to the cables l5 or 31 q and thereafter the said tanks 26 are filled with water so that the same will descend and ratchet thechains l8 until the tanks arrive adjacent to the sunken ship, the pipes-or tubes 32 playing out from the craft 25 during the descent of the tankv so that when these tanks arrive adjacent to the ship the water contents of such tanks can be expelled. therefrom to render the same buoyant for the lifting of the sunken vessel.

Of course, ifit is not desired to raise the sunken selves afioat and avoid drowning. These handholds can be in the nature of belts whereby they can be fastened about the body of a person.

The handholds 4| are located at opposite sides and ends of the pontoons 34. It is, of course,

understood that suitable grips may be provided on the pontoons Ill equivalent to the handholds referred to.

What is claimed is:

A rigging of the character described comprising a pontoon, means for releasably fixing the pontoon to a ship, link chains carried by the ship and having flexiblelet-out and take-up connections with the pontoon, means in the pontoon for the letting out and taking up of said connections, a tank for receiving air and water, means. for admitting water to the tank for the sinking of the latter in a body of water, means for admitting air to said tank for expelling water therefrom to render said tank buoyant for its rise to the surface of the water, a detachable coupling on the tank and slidably connecting the latter with the chains, and ratchet dogs pivoted to the respective links of said chains throughout the same and cooperating with the detachable coupling for allowing free movement of said tank upon the chains in one direction and the intermediate latching of such tank against movement in the reverse direction throughout the extent of the chains.

STEVE MINIO. 

